Switching device.



C. RENSHAW.

SWITCHING DEVICE.

AP PLICATION FILED APR. 24. !913.

1,181,250. Patented May 2,1916.

i VENT R ATTORNEY UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE RENSHA'W, OF EDG-EWOOD PARKQPENNSYLVANI, ASSIGNOR TO 'WESTING- HOUSE ELECTBIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

Speciflcation 'of Iietters Patenta' I Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed April 24, 1913. V Serial No. 763,276.

-of 'Edgewood Park, in the county of AlleghenyandState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement'in Switching Devices, of which the following 'is a specification.

My invention relates to switching devices for electrical apparatus, andit has specialreference to-flexible shunts employed in con- V nection therewth. e

The object of myinvention s to provde a I flexible shunt of the multi-ribbon type having one or more thin conducting strips-interposedbetween the .adjacent ends of the 'ribbons f or efi'ecting intimate contact between them and for carrying a portion of the current to the member to which the shunt is attached. r

Heretofore, multi-strand fiexible shunt have been employed for connecting the movable contact members to a stati-onary portion of a swtching device,.but, in cases where the several strands comprised braided cop'- per ribbons, excessive heating resulted at the point of connection by reason of poor electrical contact between the uneven surfaces of the several adjacent members.

-means, which shall be simple andinexpensive to assemble, for improving the electrcal connectons and carrying a portion of the current.

. which are disposed over the ends of a por-.

According to my invention, I provide one or more thin U-shaped conducting clips tion, or all, of the several ribbons of the shunt, in such nianner as to 'provide a por'-` .tion of one of'said clips intermediate the ado jacent ribbons The clips may also be ad .vantageously arranged so that -one side thereof 'shall .be interposed between the I shunt and the contact surface to which'it is secured;

a i My'in vention is illustrated in the e panying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a View, partially in section and partially in side elevation, of a switching device embodying a flexible shunt Constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig, 2 is a perspective View of an end of the shunt shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are views in end elevation of shunts embodying modified forms of my invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus here shown comprises a stationary contact member 1, a movable contact 'member 2 for coperating therewith, a plurality of arcing contact terminals 3, respectively associated With said contact members, and a stationary bracket 4:- to which a movable intermediate member 5 is pivotally connected by apin 6, the member 5 servirg as a support for a conducting member 7 which has a pivotal connection therewith, through. the agency of a pin '8. The member 7 carries the movablecontact member 2 and is provided with a projecting portion 9 having a contact surface 10 to which one end 11 of a flexible multi-ribbon shunt 12 is attached by means of suitable bolts 13 and washers 14, -in a well known manner. the shunt 12 is similarly secured to a contact surface 16 which formsa part of the stationary bracket 4. a i

An inclosing casing 17 surrounds the component parts of the switching device hereinbefore described and the stationary contact member 1 is secured thereto by means of a supporting bracket 18 of conducting material having an'integral stud 18 which projects through the casing 17 and serves as one terminal of the device. A- stud 19, which forms an integral part of the conducting bracket 4, constitutes the other terminal. 1 Between the lug 20 on the bracket 4: and a portion 21 of the member 7, a coil spring 22 is disposed for the purpose of moving the contact member 2 away from its coperating stationary member 1 when released.

The shunt12 comprises a plurality of rib- The other end 15 of bon conductors 23 of copper braidor other suitable conducting-material such as is comnonly employed for this purpose. A- plurality of U-shaped conducting clips 24: are

placed over the ends of certain of. the ribbons to insure that a portion of some one of the clips is interposed between the adjacent surfaces of the several conductors 23. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, conducting clips 24 respectively envelop the ends of the two outer ribbons 23, so that a portion of each of the clips is located on the outside of an outer ribbon. A relatively large clip 25 is, placed over each entire end porton of the shunt 12 and has one of its side portions interposed between' a side portion of one of the smaller clips 24 and the conducting surfaces 10 and 1 6, respectively, while the other i side portion thereof lies between the other clip 24 and the clamping washers 14.

'By means of the bolts 13, any desired pressure may be exerted' on the ribbons 23 and clips 24 and 25, whereby intimate electrical contact between the component parts may be Secured. Furthermore, a portion of the current conducted by the several ribbons 23' is conducted to the contact surface 10 of the member 7 through the conducting clips 24 and 25, whereby excessive heating v is prevented.

Referring* now to" Fig. 3, a 'plurality of conducting clips 27, 28 and 29 are employed,

. one arm of each clip being placed adjacent to the contact surface 10 and the other arms of the clips being res'pectively disposed in contact with the several conducting ribbons 23 which'constitute the shunt 12.

In Fig. 4, clips 29-envelop the ends of the outside ribbons '23, while clips 30 span the ends of' the two outside ribbons-23 and make electrical contact, the one with the other, between the inside ribbons.

The modified form shown in Fig. 5 comprises a plurality of clips 24 which severally envelop the ends of the Component ribbons 23 and make electrical contact, the one with ingrdevice.

the other, to eifect the desired results.

'These and' other modifications ofmy inventon, WhlCh may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, are

intended to -be covered by the appended claims. -Furthermore, I 'do not wish to be' restricted to any particular type of switchhe device i illustrated and described is intended to be merely one example ofmany to which my invention is applicable I claim as my inventionz- 1. A flexible shunt comprising a`plurality of superimposed ribbon conductors, and a.

plurality of thin conducting strips inter-' posed between the ends thereof.

2. A flexble shunt 'comprising a plurality 5. A flexible shunt comprising a plurality of supermposed braided conducting ribbons, and means interposed between the ends of said ribbons for efl'ecting good electrcal contact between adjacentmibbons.

'6. The combination with a conducting member, and a flexible multi-ribbon shunt attached thereto, of a plurality of thin con- 7 ducting strips interposed between said ribbons and adj acent to said conducting member at the point of attachment 7. The combination with a conducting memberhaving a contact surface, and a plurality of superiposed flexible shunts, of a plurality of conducting strips disposed adjacent to said contact surface and in intimate contact with portions of said shunts, and means 'for clamping said parts tightly to the contact surface of said conducting member.

8. The combination with a shunt of flexible ribbons, a conducting member, and

'means for, clamping said ribbons thereto, of

-a 'plurality of strips 'of conducting material,

' oneend of each strip being interposed' between the ends of said ribbons and the 'other v end lying adjacent to said conducting member, for eflecting good electrical contact between adjacent ribbons and also for carryv ing current to said conducting member.

9. The combination with a conducting member, of a multi-ribbon flexible shuntfor said member having U-shaped conducting strips in intimate contact with the ends thereof and partially interposed between the -adjacent ribbons for asssting to conduct current. v

e 10. -A multi-strand flexible shunt having U-shaped clips disposed over the end portions of certain strands and relatively large clips enveloping all of said strands and thesmaller clips. v

11. A multi-ribbon flexible shunt having a plurality of U-shaped clips severally' disposed over the ends of the ribbons in sideby-side relation and in intimate contact withone another.

. 12. A flexibleshint comprising a plurality of superimposed ribbon conductors, a. plurality of U-shaped clips dis osed over the ends of the respective outsi e conductors,

an d a plurality of larger nd similar clips dsposed over the ends of correspondinglylocated conductors constitutng the respecconducting means interposed between adj.- I cent ribbons and in intmate electrcal engagement therewith.

In testinony Whereof, I have hereunto 15 subscribed my name this 17th day of April,-` 1913.

CLARENCE RENSHAW.

witnesses:

E. C. WHITE, B. B. HINES. 

